Down with the Derby

Gus and Beedle participated in a Cub Scout tradition--the Pinewood Derby. Not only was it the first time for the boys, but it was also the pack's first pinewood derby. So it was a level playing field. The boys picked up their derby kits and began working on them quickly. They traced out the patterns they wanted for their cars on the blocks of wood. Fortunately, Poppa Barron graciously volunteered to cut their patterns out for them so they wouldn't have to work with dangerous tools (maybe next year, guys). Once they got cars cut, they went to work sanding them down. They sanded and sanded and sanded until they complained. And then they sanded them some more. Once they were as smooth as glass (or close enough), they painted them and glued in the weights. Gus chose a green color with yellow trim and lightning bolts. Beedle opted for a Tiger-striped car (because he is the rank of Tiger). Dad helped them modify the cars to get their weights under 5 ounces (the most a derby car can weigh). Then they were ready for the big race. The other scouts in the pack did a fantastic job with their cars. It was obvious the scouts were really getting into this project. As were the dads in their efforts to set up and plan such a wonderful event--Thanks Dads!

For the race, each car raced four times. Gus finished with the second best overall time in his den, while Beedle had the third fastest time of the Tigers.Every scout went home with an award, so smiles were in abundance. It was agreed by Gus and Beedle that the Pinewood Derby was a whole lot of fun!